Fay Compton

Fay Compton

Born: September 18, 1894
Died: December 12, 1978
in Fulham, London, England, UK
From Wikipedia

Fay Compton CBE (18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978) was an English actress from a notable acting lineage; her father was actor/manager Edward Compton; her mother, Virginia Bateman, was a distinguished member of the profession, as were her elder sister, the actress Viola Compton, and her uncles and aunts. Her grandfather was the 19th-century theatrical luminary Henry Compton. Author Compton Mackenzie was her elder brother.

Compton's film work is not as well known as her stage appearances. She appeared in more than forty films between 1914 and 1970. Her most popular performances in films are Odd Man Out (1947), Laughter in Paradise (1951), Orson Welles' Othello (1952), The Haunting (1963) and I Start Counting (1969).

Among her television performances, she appeared in 1965 with Michael Hordern in the television play, Land of My Dreams by Clive Exton. One of her last major roles was as Aunt Ann in the BBC's 1967 television adaptation of The Forsyte Saga. She had a successful career in the radio, television and gramophone recordings.

Movies for Fay Compton...

I Start Counting
Title: I Start Counting
Character: Mrs. Bennett
Released: October 27, 1970
Type: Movie
An English schoolgirl suspects the foster brother she worships is the serial killer at large.
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The Virgin and the Gypsy
Title: The Virgin and the Gypsy
Character: Grandma
Released: June 1, 1970
Type: Movie
Film adaptation from the novel by D.H. Lawrence, discovered after the celebrated author's death in 1930, a romantic love story tells of a prim young English girl who is sexually attracted to a seductively virile gypsy. The climatic dam burst is linked with the consummation of her desire.
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Title: Dombey and Son
Character: Mrs. Brown
Released: August 17, 1969
Type: TV
Charles Dickens' classic novel is given its first television adaptation in this classic 1969 BBC production. Paul Dombey is a well-to-do shipping firm owner, who lacks a son to take over the family business. After rejecting his daughter's affection, he reconciles with her before his death.
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Title: Journey to the Unknown
Character: Queen Victoria
Released: September 26, 1968
Type: TV
A British television anthology series. The series has a fantasy, science fiction and supernatural theme, very similar to the American television series The Twilight Zone, and deals with normal people whose everyday situations somehow become extraordinary. It featured both British and American actors.
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Title: Cold Comfort Farm
Character: Aunt Ada Doom (Starkadder)
Released: June 22, 1968
Type: TV
Adaptation of Stella Gibbons's comic novel of the same name.
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Title: Sanctuary
Released: June 29, 1967
Type: TV
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Title: The Forsyte Saga
Character: 'Aunt Ann' Forsyte
Released: January 7, 1967
Type: TV
The Forsyte Saga is a 1967 BBC television adaptation of John Galsworthy's series of The Forsyte Saga novels, and its sequel trilogy A Modern Comedy. The series follows the fortunes of the upper middle class Forsyte family, and stars Eric Porter as Soames, Kenneth More as Young Jolyon and Nyree Dawn Porter as Irene. It was adapted for television and produced by Donald Wilson and was originally shown in twenty-six episodes on Saturday evenings between 7 January and 1 July 1967 on BBC2, at a time when only a small proportion of the population had television sets able to receive this channel. It was therefore the repeat on Sunday evenings on BBC1 starting on 8 September 1968 that secured the programme's success with 18 million tuning in for the final episode in 1969. It was shown in the United States on public television and broadcast all over the world, and became the first BBC television series to be sold to the Soviet Union.
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Uncle Vanya
Title: Uncle Vanya
Character: Marya, the mother
Released: November 20, 1963
Type: Movie
Adaptation of Chekhov's play from the Chichester Festival.
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The Haunting
Title: The Haunting
Character: Mrs. Sanderson
Released: August 21, 1963
Type: Movie
Dr. Markway, doing research to prove the existence of ghosts, investigates Hill House, a large, eerie mansion with a lurid history of violent death and insanity.
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Title: Maigret
Released: October 31, 1960
Type: TV
BBC series based on the novels by Georges Simenon which starred Rupert Davies as Inspector Maigret, a French police detective who preferred to watch and listen in order to solve crimes. The series ran from 1960-63 on British television.
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Title: No Hiding Place
Released: September 16, 1959
Type: TV
No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series Murder Bag and Crime Sheet, all starring Raymond Francis as Detective Superintendent, later Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart.
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The Story of Esther Costello
Title: The Story of Esther Costello
Character: Mother Superior
Released: November 6, 1957
Type: Movie
Eighteen-year-old Esther has been deaf and blind since the accident which killed her mother. Wealthy Margaret Landi, a native of Esther's village in Ireland, is talked into helping to educate and possibly heal Esther. Margaret grows to love Esther as a daughter, but finds Esther's innocence threatened by sleazy promoters and her own sleazy ex-husband. Radiant performance by Heather Sears. Based on a book that nearly had Helen Keller's co-workers suing for libel due to perceived parallels between Carlo Landi and the husband of Annie Sullivan
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Title: Nicholas Nickleby
Released: October 18, 1957
Type: TV
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Town on Trial
Title: Town on Trial
Character: Mrs. Crowley
Released: August 1, 1957
Type: Movie
When an attractive young girl is murdered, suspicion falls on several members of the local tennis club. It falls to Police Inspector Halloran to sort out all the red herrings, and finally after a confrontation at the top of the local church spire, arrest the culprit. Another fascinating look at what life was like in Britain during the 50's.
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Doublecross
Title: Doublecross
Character: Alice Pascoe
Released: February 1, 1956
Type: Movie
A Cornish fisherman becomes involved with Iron Curtain spies.
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Aunt Clara
Title: Aunt Clara
Character: Gladys Smith
Released: November 22, 1954
Type: Movie
A wealthy old man dies and leaves his holdings--including a brothel and a gambling den, racing greyhounds and a sleazy bar--to his eccentric Aunt Clara. Clara vows to "clean up" her new establishments, but complications ensue when she visits the crooked gambling den--just as it's being raided by the police.
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The Vanquished
Title: The Vanquished
Character: Mrs. Pinkerton
Released: October 22, 1953
Type: Movie
A trilogy of stories of well-off youths who commit murders. In the French episode, a group of high school students kill one of their colleagues for his money. In the Italian episode, a university student's involved in smuggling cigarettes. In the English episode, a lazy poet finds the body of a woman on the downs, and tries to sell his story to the press.
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Lady Possessed
Title: Lady Possessed
Character: Mme. Brune
Released: January 26, 1952
Type: Movie
A pianist takes his ailing wife out of a London hospital at the same time that another female patient there has suffered a miscarriage. Afterwards, the second woman feels empty and withdrawn, and, thinking that getting her away from London will help, her husband takes her to live at a country estate, which turns out to be the former residence of the pianist who left after his wife died. The woman begins to get visions of the wife and her final days; is she becoming possessed by the dead wife of the pianist?
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Othello
Title: Othello
Character: Emilia
Released: November 28, 1951
Type: Movie
When a secret marriage is planned between Othello, a Moorish general, and Desdemona, the daughter of Senator Brabantio, her old suitor Roderigo takes it hard. He allies himself with Iago, who has his own grudge against Othello, and the two conspire to bring Othello down. When their first plan, to have him accused of witchcraft, fails, they plant evidence intended to make him believe Desdemona is unfaithful.
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Laughter in Paradise
Title: Laughter in Paradise
Character: Agnes Russell
Released: June 1, 1951
Type: Movie
When an eccentric practical joker dies, he divides his fortune among four heirs. But before they can collect the cash they must each do something which goes completely against their nature. NB: This is the film which introduced Audrey Hepburn.
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Blackmailed
Title: Blackmailed
Character: Mrs. Christopher
Released: January 30, 1951
Type: Movie
A blackmailer is murdered, and those who witnessed the scene agree to keep quiet; the complication is that the scene is also witnessed by a young artist, a victim of blackmail as well. (BFI Website)
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The Forbidden Street
Title: The Forbidden Street
Character: Mrs. Culver
Released: March 31, 1949
Type: Movie
In Victorian London, young Adelaide is born into luxury, but marries starving artist Henry. His alcoholism and their lack of money lead to many quarrels. During one such fight, Henry slips down a flight of stairs and dies. A neighbor, Mrs. Mounsey, is the only witness, and she blackmails the young widow by threatening to tell the cops that Adelaide killed her husband. Luckily, lawyer Gilbert swoops in to help Adelaide.
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London Belongs to Me
Title: London Belongs to Me
Character: Mrs. Josser
Released: November 5, 1948
Type: Movie
Classic British drama about the residents of a large terrace house in London between Christmas 1938 and September 1939. Percy Boon lives with his mother in a shared rented house with an assortment of characters in central London. Although well intentioned, he becomes mixed up with gangsters and murder. The story focuses on the effects this has on Percy and the other residents.
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Esther Waters
Title: Esther Waters
Character: Mrs. Barfield
Released: September 28, 1948
Type: Movie
Esther goes into service in Victorian England, only to be seduced by the sweet talking groom William, who then takes off with his employer's daughter. Left alone to bring up the child, Esther manages and after 7 years has a chance at happiness. Then William turns up again...
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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Title: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Character: Mme. Mantalini
Released: March 12, 1947
Type: Movie
A fatherless boy tries to make his fortune despite interference from his rich uncle.
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Odd Man Out
Title: Odd Man Out
Character: Rosie
Released: January 30, 1947
Type: Movie
Belfast police conduct a door-to-door manhunt for an IRA gunman wounded in a daring robbery.
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The Prime Minister
Title: The Prime Minister
Character: Queen Victoria
Released: March 4, 1941
Type: Movie
Directed by Thorold Dickinson.
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So This Is London
Title: So This Is London
Character: Lady Worthing
Released: March 1, 1939
Type: Movie
American (Churchill) in London dislikes England until his daughter (Lehmann) falls for the son (Granger) of the Lord (Drayton) with whom he wants to conclude a business deal.
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The Mill on the Floss
Title: The Mill on the Floss
Character: Mrs. Tulliver
Released: January 9, 1937
Type: Movie
Romeo and Juliet in 1930s England. The owner of the mill and the local lord are in conflict over water rights. The lord wins threatening the mill owner with financial ruin.
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Waltzes from Vienna
Title: Waltzes from Vienna
Character: Countess Helga von Stahl
Released: March 15, 1934
Type: Movie
Johann Strauss Jr. is forced by his father to forget music and to work in a bakery, where he falls in love with Resi, the baker's daughter. The girl gets jealous when a contessa asks Strauss Jr. to write a waltz for her.
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Autumn Crocus
Title: Autumn Crocus
Character: Jenny Grey
Released: February 1, 1934
Type: Movie
A teacher falls in love with the married owner of the guest house in which she is staying during a holiday to Austria.
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Tell England
Title: Tell England
Character: Mrs. Doe
Released: March 2, 1931
Type: Movie
In England, two young friends, confronted with the outbreak of World War I, enlist together to serve in the same company on the battle-field.
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Uneasy Virtue
Title: Uneasy Virtue
Character: Dorothy Rendell
Released: February 5, 1931
Type: Movie
A comedy film directed by Norman Walker
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Cape Forlorn
Title: Cape Forlorn
Character: Eileen Kell
Released: January 8, 1931
Type: Movie
William Kell, the keeper of a lighthouse on a lonely stretch of coastline, marries cabaret dancer Eileen. His young wife, however, goes on to have an affair with Henry Cass, the handsome assistant later taken on by her husband; when she then begins to flirt with a stranger who is rescued from the wreck of a motor-launch, a chain of shocking events is set in motion...
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Fashions in Love
Title: Fashions in Love
Character: Marie de Remy
Released: July 1, 1929
Type: Movie
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Somehow Good
Title: Somehow Good
Character: Rosalind Nightingale
Released: October 31, 1927
Type: Movie
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Settled Out of Court
Title: Settled Out of Court
Character: The Woman
Released: October 1, 1925
Type: Movie
A husband's attempts to escape from a loveless marriage ends in tragedy.
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The Happy Ending
Title: The Happy Ending
Character: Mildred Craddock
Released: January 2, 1925
Type: Movie
A wastrel returns to blackmail his wife who has told her children that he died a hero.
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The Eleventh Commandment
Title: The Eleventh Commandment
Character: Ruth Barchester
Released: July 31, 1924
Type: Movie
An actress thwarts a blackmailer by taking the blame for her sister's compromise. Based on the play The Pillory by Brandon Fleming.
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The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
Title: The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
Character: Mary Stuart
Released: February 4, 1924
Type: Movie
The Dauphin's widow weds a lord and is executed for plotting against the queen.
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A Bill of Divorcement
Title: A Bill of Divorcement
Character: Margaret Fairfield
Released: August 1, 1922
Type: Movie
Meg Fairfield secures a divorce from her husband Hilary, and is about to marry Gray Meredith when Hilary returns cured. Sydney, daughter of Hilary and Meg, is engaged to Kit Pumphrey, son of the parish rector who refuses to permit his son to marry Sydney when he learns her mother is divorced....
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Diana of the Crossways
Title: Diana of the Crossways
Character: Diana
Released: May 1, 1922
Type: Movie
A sensuous woman trapped in a loveless relationship has an affair with a leading politician which threatens to bring down the government.
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A Woman of No Importance
Title: A Woman of No Importance
Character: Rachel Arbuthnot
Released: July 1, 1921
Type: Movie
A widow's son refuses to be adopted by a Lord when he learns the Lord is her father.
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The Old Wives' Tale
Title: The Old Wives' Tale
Character: Sophie Barnes
Released: January 1, 1921
Type: Movie
A woman leaves her husband to run a Paris boarding house, and reunites with her sister after the war.